changePassword, setPassword and pwdhistorylength, minpwdage

Hi,

I am working on a system that requires the implementation of 
pwdhistorylength and a minpwdage. Previously the system used
changePassword 
when the user could remember their password and wanted to change it, and 
uses setPassword when they are changing their password via the help of a 
secret question and answer. I have just discovered whilst testing that the

setPassword method appears to ignore the password policy attributes such
as 
pwdhistorylength and minpwdage. Can anyone explain why this might happen, 
and if there is any way of enforcing the password policy regardless of the

method that is called to change the password.

Thanks in advance
Janette