SVG Xlink:href particular URL gives an error

Question

I'm new to SVG coding and trying to create an xlink:href attribute to a path. The link works with a standard URL but not the one the client wants to go to. The link supplied works fine from the supplied word document but not in the SVG code. Other paths links are working fine. URL is https://pdms.hw.ac.uk/index.php?Mode=Search&CourseID=4251 any thoughts?

example 1: This function works.

<a xlink:href="https://pdms.hw.ac.uk/" xlink:show="new">
    <ellipse
       style="opacity:0;fill:white;fill-opacity:0;stroke:#008080;stroke-width:2.60064602;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-opacity:1"
       id="CoverplateSchedule"
       cx="68.767662"
       cy="238.28044"
       rx="13.467875"
       ry="13.685399"   />
    <g
       id="g2556"
       transform="matrix(0.23470858,0,0,0.21678373,57.533146,227.46417)">
      <path
         id="path2552"
         d="m 76,32 v 8 H 68 V 32 Z M 20,68 h 8 v 8 H 20 Z M 40,32 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 12,0 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 12,20 h -8 v -8 h 8 z m 4,0 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m 0,12 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m -24,4 h 8 v 8 h -8 z m -4,0 v 8 H 32 V 68 Z M 32,56 h 8 v 8 h -8 z m -4,0 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 0,-12 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 12,8 h -8 v -8 h 8 z m 4,0 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m 8,12 h -8 v -8 h 8 z m 4,0 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m 8,-32 v 8 H 56 V 32 Z M 14,26 V 82 H 82 V 26 Z"
         inkscape:connector-curvature="0" />
      <rect
         id="rect2554"
         height="8"
         width="68"
         y="14"
         x="14" />
    </g>
     <ellipse
       style="opacity:1;fill:none;fill-opacity:1;stroke:#008080;stroke-width:2.60064602;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-opacity:1"
       id="path1959-9-3-2-2-6-3-9"
       cx="68.767662"
       cy="238.28044"
       rx="13.467875"
       ry="13.685399"   />
  </a>

Example 2: Error saying not well formed

   <a xlink:href="https://pdms.hw.ac.uk/index.php?Mode=Search&CourseID=4251" xlink:show="new">
    <ellipse
       style="opacity:0;fill:white;fill-opacity:0;stroke:#008080;stroke-width:2.60064602;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-opacity:1"
       id="CoverplateSchedule"
       cx="68.767662"
       cy="238.28044"
       rx="13.467875"
       ry="13.685399"   />
    <g
       id="g2556"
       transform="matrix(0.23470858,0,0,0.21678373,57.533146,227.46417)">
      <path
         id="path2552"
         d="m 76,32 v 8 H 68 V 32 Z M 20,68 h 8 v 8 H 20 Z M 40,32 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 12,0 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 12,20 h -8 v -8 h 8 z m 4,0 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m 0,12 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m -24,4 h 8 v 8 h -8 z m -4,0 v 8 H 32 V 68 Z M 32,56 h 8 v 8 h -8 z m -4,0 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 0,-12 v 8 h -8 v -8 z m 12,8 h -8 v -8 h 8 z m 4,0 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m 8,12 h -8 v -8 h 8 z m 4,0 v -8 h 8 v 8 z m 8,-32 v 8 H 56 V 32 Z M 14,26 V 82 H 82 V 26 Z"
         inkscape:connector-curvature="0" />
      <rect
         id="rect2554"
         height="8"
         width="68"
         y="14"
         x="14" />
    </g>
     <ellipse
       style="opacity:1;fill:none;fill-opacity:1;stroke:#008080;stroke-width:2.60064602;stroke-miterlimit:4;stroke-dasharray:none;stroke-opacity:1"
       id="path1959-9-3-2-2-6-3-9"
       cx="68.767662"
       cy="238.28044"
       rx="13.467875"
       ry="13.685399"   />
  </a>

Error message Error messagein Firefox