ajaxOptions is null problem

ajaxOptions is null problem

I am using jQuery 1.8 Tabs with jQuery 1.4.2

I have a menu system that on click causes "javascript:createTab('updtproviders.php','Update Providers ',0)" to call

function createTab(page,page_name,pos) {
    $('#tabs').tabs("add",page,page_name);
    var tabIndex = $('#tabs').tabs('length');
    $('#tabs').tabs("select",tabIndex-1);
    return false;
}

This correctly creates a new tab to the right of the first tab (created statically) with "Update Providers" as the title but hangs with "i.ajaxOptions is null"

First tab (all of which including the grid works fine) is created with
<div class="demo">
  <div id="tabs">
      <ul>
          <li><a href="#ui-tabs-1">First Tab</a></li>
      </ul>
      <div id="ui-tabs-1">
        <div style="width: 270px; height: 350px;">
              <table width="950" border="0">
                <tr>
                  <td><?php echo $subscriber; ?></td>
                  <td rowspan="2"><?php include "getvlinks.php";?></td>
                 </tr>
                <tr>
                  <td><img src="../images/masterlogo.png" width="263" height="175" alt="First Tab"></td>
                 </tr>
             </table>
        </div>
      </div>
  </div>
</div>

updtproviders includes
<body>
<div id="tabs">
    <table align="center">
        <tr>
            <td>this is a test</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>
                   <?php include "getvlinks.php";?>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</div>
</body>

The tab is created. "This is a test" correctly shows up in the centred table and the system hangs with i.ajaxOptions is null.

I suspect I have not fullyunderstood how this hangs together and would apprecaite some help in sorting it out.

Thank you.