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The MoD spends around one million pounds each year to place children to private educational institutions in northern Wales because "state schools provide various classes in the Welsh tongue".

It paid £1,019,000 in educational stipend in north Wales for 83 children of service personnel in the current academic year, and £942,000 for 79 children in the previous year under a established practice.

An official representative said "service children can face frequent moves" and the allowance "seeks to minimize interruption to their education".

The Welsh party described it as a "total misuse of funds" and "an insult to our tongue" while the Tory party argued families should be able to choose the language in which their children are taught.

The figures were acquired following a inquiry under the Freedom of Information Act.

The website of the military installation on Anglesey informs its personnel, "for those residing and working in north Wales, where state schools teach some or all lessons in the Welsh tongue, you may choose to send your kids to an English-language private institution".

"Provided you are accompanied by your family at your posting, you can use this allowance to cover the cost of tuition fees, field study trips/residential learning programs and daily transport."

A defense ministry representative told, "the purpose of Day School Allowance in the northern region (DSA-NW) is to assist service families stationed to the area, where the Welsh tongue is the main language of public schooling".

"As mobility is a aspect of military career, service children can encounter frequent moves and the this allowance seeks to minimize interference to their education."

"The MoD acknowledges the sacrifices military members, and their families make, and through DSA-NW helps with the expenses of private education given in English."

'Where teaching is bilingual or non-English'

The allowance includes school costs up to a maximum of twenty-two thousand seven hundred fifty-five pounds annually, £7,585 per term, and is accessible to people living in the counties of Conwy, Denbighshire, the locality, Anglesey or the district and serving in these specific locations:

• RAF Valley, Anglesey
• The combined forces alpine training facility, the island
• Joint Services Mountain Training Wing, Llanrwst
• The university military training program (the corps), Bangor detachment, Caernarfon

The eligible private schools are Treffos school, Llansadwrn, Anglesey; Rydal Penrhos preparatory institution in the town; St Gerard's school, Bangor and St David's institution, Llandudno.

The relevant military policy document states that "disbursement of the stipend is restricted to those areas where teaching in the state sector is on a dual-language or non-English basis".

Personnel serving in other locations in the multiple services of the military - the Army, the naval service and the Royal Air Force - can claim a continuity of education allowance which contributes towards residential and/or school charges up to a cap, with a minimum parental contribution of ten percent for each eligible child.

Welsh Conservative assembly representative Natasha Asghar said "personnel of the British armed forces move around the nation and the world, and the MoD have always sought to ensure that their kids have availability to consistency in education".

"Although we strongly endorse Welsh-language teaching throughout the country, it's crucial to recognize there are two official languages in our country, the English tongue and Welsh, and municipal authorities and school boards should provide for each."

"Families should always have the choice to select the medium in which their children are taught."

Plaid Cymru's education spokesperson Cefin Campbell MS stated "not only is this a total misuse of money, it is an insult to our tongue".

"It's hard to imagine any justifiable cause to be allocating such money annually, on blocking youth residing in Wales from having the chance to learn the Welsh tongue."

"Dual-language ability enhances experience and aids the growth of young people, but the British administration is obviously unaware to this."

"This money is a clear illustration of the attitude of the UK political groups towards Wales and the Welsh language - namely unawareness and insults."