Custom control within User control within XML template

[microdevsolutions]

Hello

I am using ASP.NET - I have written a Custom Control (to output some
information) that has a public property declared.

I have a user control that is a wrapper around the above custom
control. The code behind is nothing more than what is generated. The
ascx is :-

<%@ Control Language="vb" AutoEventWireup="false"
Codebehind="Menu.ascx.vb" Inherits="CIIS.Menu"
TargetSchema="http://schemas.microsoft.com/intellisense/ie5" %>
<%@ Register TagPrefix="cc2" Namespace="CIIS.DSC_CommonControls"
Assembly="CIIS" %>
<cc2:Menu id="Menu1" runat="server"></cc2:Menu>

Each page display this usercontrol via an inherited base page which
uses an XML template to show frequently used items (headers, footers,
menus, etc). The XML file only can only refer to user controls (hence
the requirement for the wrapper) and looks like :-

<template:UserControl id="ucMenu" src="../UserControl/Menu.ascx"
tabindex="-1"/>

This all works (everything shows) except when I try to set the public
property in a page via :-

....
Protected WithEvents Menu1 As CIIS.DSC_CommonControls.Menu
....
Menu1.Headline = "CIIS Home" '<--exception thrown
....

When I trace it Menu1 is nothing (I get an object has no reference) -
the XML template does not instantiate the user control like a reference
within the aspx normally would. Note I can set the attribute within
the wrapper but this is useless as I can't pass anything to the wrapper
(as it is equal to nothing).

Any ideas on how to create the reference (or perhaps make it shared) so
I can set the public property.

Cheers
Phil