How to encode   in AJAX response

[koloale1]

Hello!
I have error when I need return    on Ajax request, e.g.
the following code doesn't work ("Completed" doesn't appear):

<h:outputText value="Ajax Status:"/>
<a4j:status id="commonstatus" startText="In progress..." stopText="Complete"/>

<rich:tabPanel switchType="ajax">
 <rich:tab label="First">
 ab
 </rich:tab>
 <rich:tab label="Second">
 a&#38;#160;b
 </rich:tab>
</rich:tabPanel>

Does anybody know how to escape    correctly?
Thanks in advance,
Alexey.